A Goal for Life

1/15/2019

Morning! If it is still morning. Up at my normal extremely early time only to find I didn’t have any internet connection this morning. Sometimes the provider has to do something during the night which takes them longer than the night, so our mornings are hampered a bit. But, it usually doesn’t take us offline for very long. I’m writing this sitting in the store before opening time, however.

The SIMH today, was a rock song I never really liked nor understood. Probably about drugs or something—“Crystal Blue Persuasion—by  Tommy James and the Shondells, back in 1968—the genre is called Psychedelic Rock. Sounds terrific, right? I don’t seem to have much control over the “bonker-brain” inside the rest of my mind.

This is a good time of the year for many facets of life. There is the planning for the year ahead, for the first quarter, for the first month, for the next week—we see all those “planning stages” more clearly before we get to charge into them with full force! After a few alterations to our plans get foisted upon us we retreat into the blasé life style we settle for and much of the new year expectation ardor is like dust, settling under the bench of a baseball dugout (where no one notices it till the next game.)

But, that’s ok. A goal for the present, next week, next month or next year should never be set in stone. Goals should be written with pencils with great big erasers, on paper with wide margins for changing expectations. Like the forgiveness of sins: remember the line in “Oh, Brother, where art thou?” the ol’ boy gets baptized and he said to his fellow-escapee, “that preacher said this absolves me of all my sins! even fer knockin’ off that Piggly Wiggly!” His pal says, “I thought you said you were innocent o’ that!?” “Well, I lied,” he said, “And that’s forgiven, too!” Changing goals and adding and subtracting from plans is like sins—all forgiven.

Another great facet of life for this time of year is watching (in total support, never being critical) other people’s plans unfold. Whether it is weight, career, schooling, sports season or whatever your friends and family are involving themselves with, it is a great time to become an encourager of everyone you know and love. For instance, a good friend of ours is a Freshman in college with a basketball scholarship; it is very enjoyable to ask him about it, follow when we can and support him from a distance. His sister graduated in December from college and just got her first job in her chosen profession! That’s exciting. 

A nephew just tapped Sugar Maples on his farm with 100 taps! Oddly, he’s praying for cold weather, to get more sap to produce a good Maple syrup year! That’s exciting! Our granddaughter has entered into her final semester in High school and has already been accepted to Auburn (we forgave her already) and is setting her sights on the next school year(s)! That’s exciting! 

Add to all that kind of activity the normal exceeding growth pattern in the things we choose  to do with our lives. It is my belief and hope that the Lord’s will is going to be done in each of the lives we are privileged to be close to. I hope for my grandchildren (and all these in that generation), the understanding that true “strength cometh from the Lord” and that all our blessings in this life are in full accord with His will and not the will of our flesh(though our flesh is our motivating force.) 

In the end, it is the will of God which shall be fulfilled. He who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be our propitiation, taking away the penalty for sins, making us to be adoptable unto Himself. He who asked us simply to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and God will save us eternally.

Thanks for reading, the Elder